Ninety-five-year-old Luella Corrine Doneskey passed away peacefully on September 8, 2025, in Gilbert, Arizona. Luella was born in Ruthven, Iowa on August 6, 1930, to Edwin and Fern Nelson. After Luella graduated from the local high school, she studied at Union College in Lincoln, Nebraska and earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing. After graduation, she married Dr. Paul Doneskey in 1951. They lived for three years in Telluride, Colorado, operating a small hospital there and then moved to Cortez, Colorado where they lived for many years. There they operated a medical practice and were both active in the Cortez Seventh-day Adventist Church.
Luella was preceded in death by her husband, Paul, in 1998 and by her brother, Bill Nelson, in 2015. She is survived by her children, Roxanna (Milo) Heinrich of Yucaipa, California; Gordon Doneskey of Gilbert, Arizona; and Renard (Jayne) Doneskey of Keene, Texas; grandchildren Jordan (Erin)Doneskey, Andre (Alexi) Doneskey, Camille (Joram) Matute, Devon (Dustin) Baumbach, and Sasha (Christian) Vasquez.
A funeral service is planned for 11:00 am on September 29 at Ertel Funeral Home at 42 North Market Street in Cortez, Colorado. Interment will follow immediately at the Cortez Cemetery. Flowers in her memory may be sent Ertel Funeral Home.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
42 N Market St, Cortez, CO 81321
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